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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · pitcher · kick · pop · bank · kid · bulb · band

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — in football
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a music group
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com